Recommendations for a cheap Athlon XP MB?

[WorldTraveller]

I am trying to put together a cheap rig mainly as a backup machine and for testing, playing with, etc. I currently have a Athlon 2400+ on A7N8X Deluxe in a Thermaltake Xaser II.

I am trying to stay under $50 bucks for the mobo, if at all possible.
I don't need fancy features (like RAID) but reliability is the main key.

What do you guys think about ASUS A7V8X or Epox 8RDA+?

Any help/thoughts are highly appreciated from a semi-newbie!

 

[WorldTraveller]

Also, I am thinking of the Sparkle Power "Power Q" 350W Power Supply MODEL ATX-350GU. It is only $23 at NewEgg.
Or, am I better off getting SPARKLE 350 WATTS ATX UL APPROVED POWER SUPPLY MODEL # FSP350-60BT ($38).

What are the differences?

 

[Vette73]

Well there is the.......


Sis chipset boards...
ECS L7S7A2 SiS 746 $54 shipped (I have this board as my backup, works very well)
ASROCK K7-S8XE SiS 748 $55 shipped

Via Chipset boards....
Shuttle AK39N KT400 $56 shipped

Nforce2 chipset boards....
BioStar M7NCD $59 shipped


Those are 4 good boards in the $50 range that should work well. You can also try the refurb section at newegg.com sometimes they have some good deals.

 

[WorldTraveller]

Thanks Marlin1975....

 

[nemesismk2]

I recommend the ASROCK K7-S8XE SiS 748 $55 shipped, they are very stable motherboards with good performance and loads of features.

 

[novice]

Although it is $10 over your budget, the Shuttle AN35N is a sweet overclocking Nforce 2 motherboard that will perform comparably to boards costing twice as much. Check zipzoomfly.com and newegg. Believe they are currently running around $60 shipped. As for power supplies, I have an older Sparkle 350W unit that has served me well. I understand the newer Fortron models (made by the same company that makes the Sparkles) with 120 mm fan are even quieter and run cooler, too. If i were ordering one today and was on a budget, I would probably opt for this one or this one.
Myself, I went for the 420W Enlight units with dual fans and a little extra juice available.

 

[high]

MSI K7N2 Delta-L for $52 shipped @ Newegg. Great board w/o raid and sata. Have not had one problem with it 🙂

 

[Doh!]

Any nForce2-based mb that meets your budget. If not, I would go w/ a Sis-based board before choosing Via KT400.

 

[high]

Yea definately most if not all nforce2 / nforce2 Ultra boards should meet your needs, just don't goto KT400, but I have seen a nice MSI KT600 w/ 4 Sata and Raid 1.5 for $120 Canadian, might be a nice deal.

 

[kehi]

MSI K7N2 Delta-L for $52 shipped @ Newegg.

I sure do not see this 🙁 . List for $79